Arch supporting shoe



July 12, 1938. k E. R. NOYESI v 2,123,238

ARCH SUPPORTING SHOE Filed Oct. 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Figl.

y 12, 1938- E. R. NOYE'S 7 2,123,288

ARCH SUPPORTING snon Filed 001;. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 12, 1938 UNETED STATES PA EN FF Application October 15, 1936, Serial No. 105,756

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in arch supporting shoes.

In a well-known type of arch supporting shoe the insole is provided with a lateral extension or wing commonly known as a cookie in its shank portion for supporting the inner longitudinal arch of the foot. Such an insole extension, however, usually functions at best only inadequately to support the foot inasmuch as it does not have the requisite amount of stiffness to retain its shape and consequently it usually breaks down quickly underthe weight and pressure of the foot and finally becomes entirely ineiiective.

The present invention aims to provide an arch lfi supporting shoe which is of simple and inexpensive construction and in which the usual disadvantages of this general type of shoe abovereferred to are entirely overcome.

, With this end in view, Ihave provided a shoe 530 comprising an insole and an outsole one ofwhich has an upwardly turned lateral extension in its shank portion, an upper a portion of which overlies the sole extension, and fastenings which extend through the upper and through the marginal 5 portion of thesole extension and secure those parts together. Advantageously, through-andthrough lock stitches are employed as the .iastenings for securing together the upper and the sole extension so as to give strength tothe shoe with- 30 out unduly stiffening it in the vicinity of the seam. In order to simplify the construction and to reduce the costofImanufacture of the shoe these stitches are made part of a single continu ous row of stitching which extends around the 35 forepart as well as along opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe bottom and constitute the means for securing the upper to the insole and the outsole in those portions of the shoe. The stitches being located close to the edge of 40 the sole extension serve to bind the sole extension and the upper firmly together. in such a manner as efiectively to insure against the deformation or breaking down of the sole extension in the use of the shoe and thus to insure a positive 45 support for the arch of the foot throughout the life of the shoe. In the illustrated construction a lateral arch supporting sole extensionor wing is formed at both the inner and outer sides of the n shank portion ofthe shoe so as to provide sup-' 50 port-for boththe inner and outer longitudinal arches of the foot and, furthermore, as herein illustrated, these sole extensions are formed'upon boththe insole and the outsole and the upper is interposed between the insole extensions and the 55 outsole extensions and is secured to both by means of the stitches. Thus, the insole extensions or wings are reinforced by the'outsole extensions which are or may be substantially heavier and stiffer than the insole extensions and whenthe parts are bound to each other andto the upper 5 by'the stitches an exceptionally strong and substantiallyunyielding support is provided for the foot.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which 10 Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of a shoe embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a shoe;

Fig. 3 is a top planview of 'a shoe;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken substantially 35 along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modification of the invention;

Fig. 6 is. a bottom plan view of a shoe embodying the modified construction shown in Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating further modifications of the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the shoe therein shown comprises an insole !2, an outsole [hand an upper l6 the margins of which are inturned between the-margins of the insole and the outsole and are secured to both soles by means of stitches [8, .herein illustrated as lock stitches, which extend through both soles and through the upper 16, the stitches being arranged in a single continuous row or line, thus providing a continuous lock stitch seam which extends entirely around the forepart and along opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe. Asshown ashank stiffener .261 of any usual or suitable construction is interposed between the soles and the shoe is provided with a heel 2i of usual construction. The illustrated insole i2 is a so-ealled cookie insole having an integral lateral extension or wing 22 in its inside shank portion and an integral lateral extension or wing 24 in its outside shank portion. The illustrated outsole i4 is formed with an integral extension or WingZB on its inside shank portion and with an integral, lateral extension or wing 28 on its outside shank portion, the wings 2E and 28 on the outsole corresponding substantially in shape and location with the wings 22 and 24, respectively, on the insole. In the shank portion of the shoe bottom the stitching, instead of following the lines of the shank edges of a normal insole, extends along lines substantially parallel to and closely adjacent to the outer edges of the sole extensions or wings, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as firmly to secure the marginal portions of the insole and outsole extensions to the upper. As indicated, the stitches I8 are laid in marginal channels 30 formed in the outsole and are covered and concealed from view by means of channel flaps 32. The stitches I8 being located close to the edges of the insole and outsole extensions, as herein shown and described, constitute means for binding firmly together the upper and the marginal portions of the insole and outsole extensions thereby causing the latter to cooperate to provide effective and substantial unyielding supports for both the inner and outer longitudinal arches of the foot. Being firmly secured or anchored near their edge portions to the upper which extends between them throughout their full width as shown in the drawings, the arch supporting insole and outsole extensions are reinforced and strengthened in such a manner that they will have no tendency to break down or to become deformed under the weight and pressure of the foot when the shoe is being worn. Thus exceptionally effective and substantial arch supports are provided at opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe bottom and an arch supporting shoe of the so-called cookie type is provided which is free from the disadvantages incident to shoes of this general type as ordinarily constructed. Moreover, inasmuch as the fastenings which secure the insole extensions to the upper and thus bind the parts together so that they become more effective to perform their intended functions are parts of a single continuous row of stitches which serve also to secure both soles to the upper in the forepart as well as in the shank portion of the shoe, the shoe is of unusually simple construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

For the purpose of providing a still stronger support for the inner longitudinal arch of the foot the shank stiffener instead of being formed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be formed as shown at 200 in Figs. 5 and 6 with an integral lateral extension or wing 3'6 at its outer side for reinforcing the inside lateral extensions or Wings 22 and 26 of the insole and outsole, respectively.

As also shown in Figs, 5 and 6, the insole and the outsole may each be formed with a lateral arch supporting wing or extension at its inside shank portion only, the soles being of normal edge contour at their outside shank portions. The, shank stiffener employed in a shoe the" soles of which have lateral shank extensions only at their inner sides may itself be provided with a reinforcing wing such as the wing 36 or an ordinary shank stiffener having no lateral extension may be used.

Certain advantages of the present invention may be realized by constructing the shoe as shown in Fig. '7, wherein an arch supporting wing or extension 260 is formed upon the outsole but the insole I20 has no corresponding extension formed thereon. In making the type of shoe shown in Fig. '7 the stitches of the continuous row which secures together the upper and the inner and outer soles may extend only through the upper and through the marginal portion of the extension of the outer sole in the shank portion of the shoe, it being unnecessary to stitch the inner sole to the upper in that restricted locality.

Some of the advantages of the invention may also be realized by constructing a shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein an arch supporting extension or wing 220 is formed at the inside shank portion of the insole, and no corresponding wing is formed upon the outsole I40. In making this shoe the continuous row of stitches which secures the upper to the inner and outer soles may extend only through the upper and through the marginal portion of the insole extension 220 in the shank portion of the shoe. In this shoe the marginal portion of the outsole at the inside shank portion of the shoe may advantageously be secured to the upper by separate fastening means as, for example, by means of cement, as indicated at 38. In Fig. 8 the upper materials are shown as comprising an upper I60, a lining I62, and a counter I64 which is located between the upper and the lining, this being the usual construction of an upper in the heel and shank portion of a shoe. Preferably the counter I'B I extends forwardly far enough to underlie at least a substantial portion of the sole extensions and, if desired, the counter may be extended forwardly sufficiently to underlie the entire area of the sole extensions and thus still further to supplement the arch supporting features imparted to the shoe by means of the sole extensions.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shoe comprising an insole having an upwardly turned lateral extension in its shank portion, an outsole having an upwardly turned lateral extension in its shank portion, an upper having its margin inturned between the insole and the outsole, a shank stiffener between said soles having a lateral arch supporting wing located between said lateral extensions of the soles and extending substantially throughout the length of the shank portion of the shoe, and a continuous line of stitches uniting the upper with the body portions and with the lateral extensions of both soles, said line of stitches providing a continuous stitched seam extending around the forepart and along the opposite sides of the shank portion of the shoe and the stitches of said seam extending through the upper and through both soles and being located close to the upper edges of said body portions and said lateral extensions.

2. A shoe comprising an insole having at each side of its shank portion an upwardly turned lateral extension, an outsole having at each side of its shank portion an upwardly turned lateral extension, the lateral extensions upon the outsole being substantially co-extensive with those upon the insole, an upper having its margin inturned between the insole and the outsole, and a row of lock stitches uniting the upper with the body portions and with the lateral extensions of both soles, said stitches being located close to the edges of said lateral extensions and being covered by a channel flap formed on the outer side of the outsole and said stitches providing a continuous lock stitched seam extending around the forepart and along both sides of the shank portion of the shoe.

EDWARD R. NOYES. 

